Cold Front Coming Midweek Will Drop Temps
Weather Update – 10:35 p.m. – Labor Day, Monday, September 2nd
A weak cold front moving through West Tennessee today won’t provide us with any relief from the heat, but there was a little bit more shade than yesterday thanks to fair weather cumulus clouds overhead. We have a stronger cold front coming in Wednesday with an opportunity for another taste of Fall soon to follow!
TONIGHT
Mostly clear skies are forecast to continue overnight with temperatures back in the mid 60s by sunrise. Our dry stretch continues here but Dorian is expected to soon move closer to the East Coast threatening to produce tropical storm-force winds, inundating storm surge, and dangerous flooding from heavy rainfall.
Another warm and sunny day is in our forecast for Tuesday with highs near 90°F. The next cold front is forecast to move through on Wednesday bringing a small chance for rain and partly cloudy skies. After the front’s passage, the temperatures and humidity will drop in West Tennessee making it feel like early Fall again! Stay with WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News for the latest forecast temperatures and keep up with Storm Team Weather online too for more updates.
TROPICAL UPDATE from the National Hurricane Center – 10:00 p.m. – Labor Day, Monday, September 2nd
At 10:00 PM CDT, the eye of Hurricane Dorian was located near latitude 26.9 North, longitude 78.5 West. Dorian is stationary just north of Grand Bahama Island. A slow northwestward motion is expected to occur early tomorrow. A turn toward the north is forecast by late Tuesday, with a northeastward motion forecast to begin by Wednesday night. On this track, the core of extremely dangerous Hurricane Dorian will continue to pound Grand Bahama Island into Tuesday morning. The hurricane will then move dangerously close to the Florida east coast late Tuesday through Wednesday evening, very near the Georgia and South Carolina coasts Wednesday night and Thursday, and near or over the North Carolina coast late Thursday and Friday.
Maximum sustained winds are near 130 mph with higher gusts making Dorian a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Although gradual weakening is forecast, Dorian is expected to remain a powerful hurricane during the next couple of days.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 45 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 150 miles. Settlement Point Grand Bahama recently reported a sustained wind of 61 mph with a gust to 82 mph, and Juno Beach Pier in northern Palm Beach County Florida recently reported a sustained wind of 44 mph with a gust to 56 mph.
The estimated minimum central pressure based on data from the Air Force and NOAA Hurricane Hunters was 946 mb.
HAZARDS AFFECTING LAND
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WIND: Devastating hurricane conditions continue on Grand Bahama Island. Do not venture out into the eye, as winds will suddenly increase after the eye passes. Hurricane conditions are expected within the Hurricane Warning area in Florida on Tuesday. Hurricane conditions are possible in the Hurricane Watch area beginning Wednesday. Tropical storm conditions are expected within the Tropical Storm warning area through Tuesday, and are possible in the Tropical Storm watch area through early Tuesday.
STORM SURGE: A life-threatening storm surge will raise water levels by as much as 12 to 18 feet above normal tide levels in areas of onshore winds on Grand Bahama Island. Near the coast, the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves. Water levels should very slowly subside on the Abaco Islands on Tuesday.
The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide…
- Lantana FL to South Santee River SC…4 to 7 ft
- North of Deerfield Beach FL to Lantana FL…2 to 4 ft
Water levels could begin to rise well in advance of the arrival of strong winds. The surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves. Surge-related flooding depends on the how close the center of Dorian comes to the coast, and can vary greatly over short distances.
RAINFALL: Dorian is expected to produce the following rainfall totals through late this week:
- Northwestern Bahamas…Additional 6 to 12 inches, isolated storm totals of 30 inches.
- Central Bahamas…Additional 1 to 3 inches, isolated storm totals of 6 inches.
- Coastal Carolinas…5 to 10 inches, isolated 15 inches.
- Atlantic Coast from the Florida peninsula through Georgia…4 to 8 inches, isolated 10 inches.
This rainfall may cause life-threatening flash floods.
SURF: Large swells are affecting the northwestern Bahamas, the Florida east coast, and the coast of Georgia. These swells are expected to spread northward along much of the remainder of the southeastern United States coast during the next couple of days. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
TORNADOES: A tornado or two is possible near the immediate east coast of Florida through Tuesday.
Tom Meiners
Storm Team 7 Chief Meteorologist, CBM
Twitter – @WBBJ7TomMeiners
Facebook – http://facebook.com/WBBJ.tom.meiners
Email – tmeiners@wbbjtv.com
